All of the above substitutions are pretty manageable, and besides that, if for some reason I unable to make them at any given time, the ingredients on the left hand side don’t upset my digestion too much. Gluten is a TOTALLY different story. Since being grain-free, any amount of flour, bread, or pasta in my diet causes an upset stomach. And finding a substitution for all-purpose flour is tough! All coconut flour makes baked goods as heavy as a brick. Flaxseed meal on it’s own becomes too moist and soft to where it doesn’t hold together at all. Most recipes I had followed for paleo baked goods used some combination of almond or flaxseed meal and coconut flour, but in different ratios with varying results. One day, as I was researching my Texas Sheet Cake recipe for the Paleo Summer Picnic Guide, I stumbled upon the absolutely perfect ratio for grain-free flour. It made the lightest, fluffiest, stable cake without any all-purpose flour. WIN.

Grain-Free Flour

Ingredients

3 cups almond flour or flaxseed meal

2 cups tapioca starch or arrowroot starch

1 cup coconut flour

Directions

Whisk together in a large mixing bowl. Store in lidded mason jars and use as a 1:1 replacement for all-purpose flour.

Last week, I used my Grain-Free Flour to recreate an old favorite recipe, Martha Stewart’s Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies. I think they should really be renamed Triple Chocolate Cookies?! The batter has both cocoa powder and melted chocolate, plus chocolate chips mixed in. I also cut the sugar from the original recipe in half because I prefer baked goods which are only slightly sweet. Lastly, I added a pinch of coffee grounds and cinnamon to complement the chocolate flavor and add some dimension. Read all about the delicious results below!

Triple Chocolate Cookies

Extremely rich and chocolate-y without any of the gluten, this will be your go-to cookie exchange recipe for years to come.

Ingredients

1 cup Grain-Free Flour

½ cup cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

8 ounces dark chocolate chips, separated

8 ounces grass-fed butter

¾ cup sugar

Pinch instant coffee grounds

Pinch ground cinnamon

2 cage-free eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk grain-free flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium size mixing bowl and set aside. Melt 4 ounces dark chocolate chips with all of the butter (I do a double boiler method over low heat, you could also microwave). Whisk in sugar, coffee, and cinnamon. Make sure mixture is relatively cool to the touch, and whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Whisk in vanilla. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour wet ingredients in the center. Fold together with a rubber spatula. Fold in remaining chocolate chips. Grease a baking sheet with coconut oil and place large rounded spoonfuls of cookie dough roughly 2 inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes just until the tops appear dry. Best served warm!

Meet Caitlin

Hi, I'm Caitlin! I am so happy to welcome you to my blog. Paleo State of Mind exists so I can share with you everything I have learned about this incredible dietary lifestyle. I hope you find the recipes, tips, and inspiration that you are looking for!